In the Eastern Palace’s rear garden, there was an open space where swords, spears, halberds, and large sandbags were usually placed – Huangfu Wushuang’s daily training ground. On this day, however, it was filled with silk paper, silk gauze, bamboo strips, feathers, and various other materials. Huangfu Wushuang wasn’t practicing martial arts either, but sat on a small bamboo stool, personally making lanterns. Several eunuchs surrounded him – some handing him bamboo strips, others cutting silk paper, all busily engaged.
“Your Highness, this part should be pasted with… here we’re missing a bamboo strip…”
“Your Highness, this portrait you painted is truly beautiful… like a fairy…”
The afternoon sunlight fell on Huangfu Wushuang, bringing a heart-warming brightness. He sat there, focused and quietly working, completely different from his usual arrogant tyranny. His thin, cold lips were slightly upturned at this moment, his facial expression very gentle, as if thinking of something that pleased him.
This side of Huangfu Wushuang greatly surprised Hua Zhuyu. She hadn’t expected the little tyrant to have such a quiet and gentle side. For someone who usually had others feed him his meals, to personally craft something was truly unbelievable.
“Little Bao’er, can you compose riddles?” Huangfu Wushuang took the silk paper handed to him by a little eunuch, pasted it onto the lantern, creating a human-shaped lantern.
Hua Zhuyu said, “I can compose riddles, but I don’t know what type Your Highness wants?”
Huangfu Wushuang held his chin in thought, “Riddles that express feelings of love and admiration.”
Hua Zhuyu pondered for a moment and suggested several riddles. Huangfu Wushuang found them satisfactory and ordered a little eunuch to grind ink. He personally took up the brush and wrote them on the completed lanterns.
The lantern he had just finished was human-shaped, painted with an elegant lady in plain clothes. The woman had a beautiful face with moth-like eyebrows, a powdered face with almond eyes, a delicate nose and vermillion lips, smiling like a budding orchid. Though this painting wasn’t quite similar to the one in Xiao Yin’s hands, and perhaps not as beautiful as that portrait, it depicted the same person – Wen Wan.
Previously, Hua Zhuyu had been puzzled about why Wen Wan, who was unwilling to marry into the Northern Dynasty, had sent such a beautiful portrait to Prince Xian. Now, seeing this portrait in Huangfu Wushuang’s hands, other noble young masters likely had them too. This meant the portrait of the capital’s foremost beauty had already circulated throughout Yu Capital.
That night, as the bright moon rose, Huangfu Wushuang took a large group of personal guards and left the palace.
Because Hua Zhuyu had composed those riddles, earning Huangfu Wushuang’s cold assessment of “having some talent after all,” she also gained the qualification to accompany him out of the palace.
Hua Zhuyu had never participated in the Early Summer Festival in Yu Capital before. She hadn’t expected this day’s lanterns to be no less spectacular than those of the Lantern Festival.
The imperial capital at the Emperor’s feet was indeed extraordinary. Anping Street was already Yu Capital’s most bustling marketplace, and this night it was even livelier, with lanterns and decorations everywhere. Some large merchants even set off fireworks in front of their shops.
Mountains of lights and trees of fire made Yu Capital’s night bloom brilliantly like flowers. Multicolored fireworks decorated the dark night sky magnificently and colorfully, making even the bright round moon seem somewhat ashamed of itself.
Huangfu Wushuang naturally traveled in disguise when leaving the palace late at night, but this little Crown Prince was accustomed to luxury and didn’t know how to keep a low profile. Not to mention the pearl and jade curtains and brocade cushions of the carriage, just the dozens of attendants surrounding the carriage front and back – each tall, strong, and handsomely dressed, plus the famous snow-treading steeds pulling the carriage – clearly indicated which wealthy young master was out for a night tour.
The streets were full of common people walking in groups. Seeing the carriage approach, they all competed to get out of the way.
Hua Zhuyu also rode a horse, wearing green robes, mixed among Huangfu Wushuang’s guards. Fortunately, Huangfu Wushuang still had some sense and didn’t make her wear eunuch clothing, otherwise wouldn’t that announce to everyone that the Crown Prince was touring, inviting any would-be assassins to come freely?
The carriage raced through Anping Street like lightning, left Yu Capital, and reached Qing Lake in the suburbs.
Qing Lake, which sounded like “Love Lake,” was as its name suggested – a place where young masters and ladies of Yu Capital met during night tours.
When Huangfu Wushuang’s party arrived at Qing Lake, dozens of large flower boats were already moored in the lake, not to mention countless small boats scattered everywhere. Huangfu Wushuang alighted from the carriage and boarded a painted pleasure boat moored at the lakeside – apparently this fellow had already sent people to prepare the boat. The attendants efficiently moved the lanterns from the carriage onto the pleasure boat.
Inside the boat cabin, no singing girls or entertainers had been invited. Apart from those who had just boarded, there were only a few guards and palace maids sent ahead. This surprised Hua Zhuyu. Given Huangfu Wushuang’s character, shouldn’t he have invited a whole boat of entertainers? But Hua Zhuyu soon understood why.
As soon as Huangfu Wushuang boarded, he asked a guard, “Have you gone to invite Miss Wen?”
The guard bowed and answered, “We sent someone long ago. By the time, she should arrive soon.”
So he had invited Wen Wan. Huangfu Wushuang was extremely infatuated with Wen Wan, so naturally he wouldn’t summon singing and dancing entertainers in front of his beloved. For the dignified Crown Prince of the Southern Dynasty to put such effort into pursuing a woman, he must truly love Wen Wan.
Hearing the guard’s response, Huangfu Wushuang’s exquisite young face immediately bloomed like a flower, smiling with great joy. He walked to the table and ordered several serving girls to bring out all the delicious delicacies.
Waiting…
There were more and more lanterns on the lake. After about half an hour, Huangfu Wushuang finally couldn’t sit still. He stood up with hands behind his back, his beautiful young face gloomy as he asked, “Who did you send? Why haven’t they returned?”
“They’re back, they’re back!” called the guard who had been watching at the bow.
Huangfu Wushuang’s dark face immediately brightened, his eyes gleaming as he strode out to greet them. However, outside the door wasn’t the beauty he had been eagerly awaiting, only that guard returning alone.
Upon seeing Huangfu Wushuang, the guard immediately knelt and kowtowed three times, his entire body trembling as he reported, “Your Highness, this subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths for failing to bring Miss Wen!”
Huangfu Wushuang’s face immediately darkened again as he asked coldly, “What happened?”
“This subordinate didn’t see Miss Wen, only received a message through Miss Wen’s maid, saying she thanks Your Highness for the gracious invitation, but she’s feeling unwell today and has already retired early. She really cannot accompany Your Highness on the lake tour and begs Your Highness’s forgiveness. She said that in a few days, when she’s feeling better, she will personally apologize to Your Highness!” The guard eloquently related the entire story.
“She’s ill?” Huangfu Wushuang frowned, his eyes immediately showing concern.
Hua Zhuyu frowned slightly from the side. It was obvious that Wen Wan simply didn’t intend to accompany him on the lake tour – those words were merely excuses. However, this little Crown Prince believed them completely and immediately wanted to leave to visit the Wen residence. The reporting guard hastily said, “Miss Wen said she has already retired and asked Your Highness to enjoy the lanterns!”
Huangfu Wushuang’s black eyes immediately darkened as he roared coldly, “This Crown Prince knows, you don’t need to tell me. Get lost!” After speaking, he angrily walked out of the cabin to the bow.
The bow was pitch black, displaying the lanterns he had personally crafted. Each had a different style – butterfly lanterns, red gauze round lanterns, five-colored dragon head lanterns, twin dragons playing with pearls lanterns, and lanterns painted with Wen Wan’s portrait, all competing to emit brilliant light at the bow.
Huangfu Wushuang beckoned Hua Zhuyu over, saying with infinite loneliness, “Put these lanterns in the lake. She won’t come to see them anyway!”
Hua Zhuyu followed his instructions and placed the lanterns one by one in the lake. Last was the lantern painted with Wen Wan’s portrait. She hesitated when picking it up, afraid that after placing it in the lake, Huangfu Wushuang might regret it. Her pause was noticed by Huangfu Wushuang, who said coldly, “Put it down!” Huangfu Wushuang wasn’t stupid – he seemed to have guessed that Wen Wan was unwilling to accompany him on the lake tour.
“Infinite words from the heart, all within threads of love.” Huangfu Wushuang watched the lanterns drift farther away, softly reciting the poem written on them. This riddle’s answer was the character “love.” He stood at the bow, letting the lake breeze blow across his face, his ice-jade black eyes filled with deep melancholy.
After all, he was the Crown Prince, surrounded and flattered by servants since childhood. If he liked something, he probably didn’t even need to beckon – those people would present it with both hands. Now, however, he was tasting the bitterness of wanting but not obtaining. Just then, brilliant colors appeared in the dark sky – fireworks began launching from the shore and lake, illuminating the water surface as bright as day.
Hua Zhuyu had never seen such dazzling fireworks in Liang Prefecture. She stood quietly behind Huangfu Wushuang, momentarily dazzled. These magnificent fireworks made her temporarily forget her troubles and sorrows, simply appreciating them purely.
After the first wave of fireworks passed and the surroundings had just returned to calm, suddenly the sound of delicate music came. The music was extremely beautiful – hearing it felt like pure sound penetrating the heart, like heavenly music.
Tourists on the pleasure boats were all moved, craning their necks in anticipation.
From ahead came a row of firework boats, and from the center emerged a boat white as moonlight. This pleasure boat couldn’t compare to Huangfu Wushuang’s carved railings, jade balustrades, and luxurious extravagance, but among the lake’s brilliant lights and magnificent pleasure boats, it was like white clouds emerging from peaks, a bright moon emerging from clouds.
Hua Zhuyu was wondering who owned this pleasure boat when she heard people on surrounding painted boats running about announcing:
“Prime Minister Ji has come to tour the lake!”
“Prime Minister Ji has come to tour the lake…”
Immediately, many pleasure boats surrounded it, competing to catch a glimpse of Prime Minister Ji’s elegant bearing.
Hearing this, Hua Zhuyu’s lips curved in a cold smile, a sharp gleam flickering in her ink-dark pupils. So it was the current Left Prime Minister indulging in nature, taking a night tour of Qing Lake. No wonder the momentum was so grand!
Huangfu Wushuang’s reaction to these words was also significant. He snorted coldly, turned, and entered the cabin. Guards had already moved a chair inside, and Huangfu Wushuang sat down with a cold expression.
Hua Zhuyu stood beside Huangfu Wushuang, looking through a pearl curtain toward that white pleasure boat outside. She saw that the white boat kept its pearl curtains lowered, making it difficult to see the cabin’s interior. Those tourists running about wanting to glimpse the Left Prime Minister’s elegant bearing were inevitably greatly disappointed.
Just then, a painted boat blocked the white boat’s path. This painted boat had an embroidered platform at the front, surrounded by flowers.
A colorfully dressed young woman holding a pipa gracefully emerged from the painted boat, walked onto the embroidered platform, curtsied toward the white boat, and said melodiously, “Bing Rou from Gentle Fragrance House requests Prime Minister Ji’s appreciation of music.” After speaking, the woman called Bing Rou held her pipa and began playing energetically on the embroidered platform, singing as she played: “Ten li of towers lean against emerald peaks, deep among hundred flowers the cuckoos cry. Earnestly speaking with travelers, not like orioles flying randomly. Awakening from startled dreams, when clearing up, each sound only says ‘better not return.’ How could the horizon lack intention to return? But helplessly the return date cannot be expected.” When the song ended, Bing Rou gracefully took her leave.
Another painted boat also approached. This time it was a woman from Peony Pavilion who began dancing on the embroidered platform.
The courtesans from brothels competing to perform for Ji Fengli left Hua Zhuyu dumbstruck. So Ji Fengli was this popular in Yu Capital. Back when she had almost married Ji Fengli, she didn’t know how many women behind the scenes wanted to cut her to pieces.
Huangfu Wushuang beckoned, and a guard quickly walked over.
“What’s going on here?” he asked with a tense face, shouting.
The guard said fearfully, “Your Highness, today is the day when courtesans from several Yu Capital brothels compete in artistic skills. The one who just played pipa was Miss Bing Rou, the courtesan from Gentle Fragrance House. The one dancing now is Miss Liu Yiyi, the courtesan from Peony Pavilion. There are also Miss Lan’er from Crimson Pavilion and Miss Mianmian from Emerald Embrace Courtyard. It’s said that whichever lady receives the largest reward will be the final winner, so these brothel ladies are blocking Prime Minister Ji’s pleasure boat, performing for him, hoping to gain his favor and receive the largest reward.”
“How did this Crown Prince not know about this news?” Huangfu Wushuang raised an eyebrow and glared as he shouted.
“This subordinate mentioned it to Your Highness, but Your Highness wasn’t paying attention at the time,” the guard said with a thud as he knelt down, feeling extremely wronged.
This really shouldn’t be blamed on the guard. Huangfu Wushuang had probably been so absorbed in making lanterns these past few days that he forgot, but ended up blaming the guard.
Huangfu Wushuang’s cold eyes swept over Hua Zhuyu, “Little Bao’er, prick up your ears to listen and open your eyes wide to watch – which courtesan is better? We’ll place a bet in a moment too.”
“This slave understands!” Hua Zhuyu said melodiously, her voice clear and beautiful. Though humble, it carried no trace of servile manner.
Miss Lan’er from Crimson Pavilion played the qin, and Miss Mianmian from Emerald Embrace Courtyard played the xiao flute.
After all four brothel courtesans had performed, Hua Zhuyu smiled and said, “Miss Bing Rou from Gentle Fragrance House – her song ‘Butterfly Loves Flower’ sounds lively but is actually soft and delicate. While cheerful to hear, it contains hidden melancholy. Her singing voice is beautiful, and she grasps the song’s artistic conception very well. Relatively speaking, her pipa playing is somewhat inferior. However, compared to Peony Pavilion’s seductive dance afterward, she’s superior. Additionally, Miss Lan’er from Crimson Pavilion has a very pleasant qin sound, but it’s not as good as Bing Rou’s pipa and song. Miss Mianmian’s xiao is also played well, comparable to Miss Bing Rou’s pipa.”
Hua Zhuyu evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of all four courtesans.
Huangfu Wushuang blinked his beautiful eyes, “So I should bet on Miss Bing Rou? Little Bao’er, go out and announce that this young master is giving five hundred taels of silver to Miss Bing Rou.”
Just as Hua Zhuyu was about to speak, she saw a guard emerge from the bow of Ji Fengli’s white boat, calling loudly, “My master gives an ink orchid to Miss Bing Rou from Gentle Fragrance House.”
Unexpectedly, Ji Fengli had gotten there first. Huangfu Wushuang was so angry his eyes shot fire as he said coldly, “Don’t give to Bing Rou anymore. Give Miss Mianmian from Emerald Embrace Courtyard one thousand taels of silver.”
Hua Zhuyu walked gracefully from the cabin, stood at the bow, and called out, “My young master appreciates Miss Mianmian from Emerald Embrace Courtyard’s xiao music and gives Miss Mianmian one thousand taels of silver!” After she finished calling, Huangfu Wushuang’s guards had already taken a thousand-tael bank note to deliver. One thousand taels of silver was no small sum – surely Miss Mianmian who received the silver would be extremely joyful. But that Miss Mianmian showed no joy on her face, instead appearing heartbroken and despairing.
Indeed, Bing Rou ultimately won. It was said that whoever received the largest reward would win. Huangfu Wushuang’s one thousand taels of silver should surely be worth more than Ji Fengli’s ink orchid. Though ink orchids were precious, they weren’t worth that much silver. Obviously, in these Yu Capital citizens’ eyes, Ji Fengli’s appreciation was worth more than one thousand taels of silver.
Learning the result, Huangfu Wushuang was furious and ordered a guard to go out and shout loudly, “My young master gives Miss Mianmian another one thousand taels of silver. Who wins this time?”
A guard emerged from the white pleasure boat saying, “Prime Minister Ji says that since Miss Mianmian received the larger reward, then Miss Mianmian wins.”
Upon hearing this, Miss Mianmian immediately wept with joy.
Huangfu Wushuang found this terribly boring. He had originally wanted to compete with Ji Fengli, but the other party simply disdained to compete with him. Just as he had a bellyful of fire with nowhere to vent, he suddenly spotted with sharp eyes the human-shaped lantern he had originally crafted, floating and drifting near Ji Fengli’s painted boat.
He stood up and pointed at the lantern, saying, “Little Bao’er, go fetch that lantern back.”
Hua Zhuyu looked around with difficulty. The lake shimmered with rippling blue waves. She had learned various skills well, but swimming was not her strong suit. She had no choice but to use her qinggong, skimming across the lake surface. Each time her feet descended, she lightly touched a lantern to relieve her downward momentum, borrowed a bit of force, then leaped up again. Her green robes danced in the wind like a fluttering butterfly. After another leap, she had reached near the white boat. This time, because she needed to bend down, she used more force when borrowing momentum, stepping one lantern into the lake before grasping the human-shaped lantern ahead. Having obtained the lantern, the white boat happened to be right in front of her, so Hua Zhuyu lightly touched the boat’s rail, her entire form swaying like a flower’s shadow as she gracefully skimmed across the lake again.
“Don’t leave!” A crisp voice called from the boat cabin, “You stepped my young lady’s lantern into the lake without even saying a word of apology, and now you want to just leave?”
Hearing this, Hua Zhuyu paused mid-movement. Before she could turn around, she heard a whoosh of wind as a rope coiled toward her ankle.
Hua Zhuyu’s phoenix eyes narrowed. Holding the lantern in one hand, she reached down with the other, grasping the rope and pulling hard. Her entire body descended like a wild goose landing on sand, floating down to the bow.
“Eh? How does this lantern have my young lady’s portrait on it?” The little maid who had attacked her with the rope stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
“This is your young lady’s portrait? Then your young lady must be Wen Wan?” Hua Zhuyu held the lantern in her jade hand, smiling as she asked.
So Wen Wan wasn’t truly unwell but had already made other plans, which was why she had refused Huangfu Wushuang. Since her maid appeared on Ji Fengli’s pleasure boat, Wen Wan must certainly be on this boat too.
“You just stepped my young lady’s lantern into the lake. Please help retrieve it for my young lady,” the little maid said coldly, her beautiful eyes gazing at the lake surface with regret.
Hua Zhuyu glanced at the lake surface, seeing crystal-clear lanterns scattered everywhere. The lantern she had borrowed force from had long since sunk to the bottom – where could she possibly retrieve it? Judging from the maid’s expression, that lantern must have been made personally by Wen Wan.
“Even if that lantern were retrieved, it probably couldn’t be used anymore. How about I compensate your young lady with this lantern instead?” After all, this matter was indeed her fault – she shouldn’t have stepped someone’s lantern into the lake. Besides, the lantern in her hand was originally made by Huangfu Wushuang for Wen Wan, so giving it to her was most appropriate.
“Bah! Who knows which stinking man admiring my young lady made this lantern? How could it compare to one made personally by my young lady? Besides, my young lady doesn’t casually accept lanterns from others,” the little maid said arrogantly, glancing disdainfully at the lantern in Hua Zhuyu’s hand. Her young lady had no shortage of men sending her lanterns.
Though Huangfu Wushuang’s lantern wasn’t particularly exquisite, it still embodied his devoted heart. Being so disdained by this little maid and called a “stinking man” would probably make Huangfu Wushuang kick her into the lake if he heard it.
“If that’s the case, then I shall take my leave. What happened just now was indeed my fault. However, besides this lantern, I truly have nothing else to offer as compensation. Perhaps my young master has something to compensate Miss Wen,” Hua Zhuyu said lightly, her dark brows slightly furrowed.
“Wait, this boat isn’t somewhere you can come and go as you please. You must solve the riddle my young lady posed,” the maid said melodiously.
Hearing this, Hua Zhuyu stopped and leaned against the rosewood railing of the white boat’s deck, smiling lightly, “Very well, since your boat has such rules, then pose your question!”
Tourists watching saw there was excitement to be had and gathered at the bow to watch. The little maid pointed to several lanterns hanging at the bow, “The riddles are on these. You may begin guessing.”
Hua Zhuyu walked casually to a lantern and pulled down the hanging slip of paper. It read: “Insects enter phoenix nest, no birds to see. Seven people grow grass on their heads. Fine rain falls on horizontal mountains. Half a friend disappears.” This was a poem where each line represented one character, forming a four-character phrase when connected. It wasn’t difficult. Without hesitation, she said, “Wind, flower, snow, moon.”
The little maid was stunned, not expecting Hua Zhuyu to answer so quickly. When she first saw this riddle, she had racked her brains thinking hard.
“Guess this one!” The maid pointed to another red gauze round-topped lantern.
Hua Zhuyu pulled down the slip and looked closely. This time it was guessing a single character. The riddle read: “Ancient moon shines on water, water flows long. Water accompanies ancient moon through spring and autumn. Keeping water’s light to illuminate ancient moon, good for boating in deep blue waves.” After brief consideration, Hua Zhuyu answered, “This is the character ‘lake.'”
“Look at this one. If you can guess this, you won’t need to compensate for that lantern. Even my young lady couldn’t guess this one!” the maid said.
Hua Zhuyu took the riddle and her expression grew serious. This riddle read: “When cold, layered upon layered. When hot, scattered and flowing. Four brothers go to the county, three enter the prefecture. In villages only in villages, at market towns only at market towns.” She pondered deeply for a long time as the maid said smugly, “How about it? Can’t guess it, can you?”
Hua Zhuyu looked for a long while, then finally laughed in realization. Actually, this wasn’t difficult to guess, except the answer, while called “one character,” wasn’t really a complete character but rather a radical component, which was why many people couldn’t guess it.
“The answer is a dot,” Hua Zhuyu smiled. Each line contained characters with the “dot” radical, and each line indicated where the “dot” was positioned in that character, leading to the conclusion that the riddle’s answer was simply a “dot.”
“A dot?” The maid was stunned, then suddenly understood, looking at Hua Zhuyu with involuntary admiration.
Standing by the boat’s rail, Hua Zhuyu faintly sensed that through the pearl curtain, someone in the cabin was gazing intently at her with an almost tangible presence, as if trying to see right through her.
“Ying’er, you’re being too rude,” a woman’s gentle voice came from the cabin. Then the pearl curtain was lifted by a slender hand, and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old woman slowly emerged from the cabin.
She wore a light blue robe and matching silk skirt, with a moon-white silk sash around her waist. Her black hair was styled in a charming hanging horse-tail bun. With dark brows and red lips, bright eyes and white teeth, her lips carried a gentle smile – graceful and refined.
This was Hua Zhuyu’s first time seeing Wen Wan in person. All her recent troubles were somehow connected to this woman, so she couldn’t help but look her up and down carefully.
It seemed Wen Wan’s title as the Southern Dynasty’s foremost beauty wasn’t undeserved – she was indeed devastatingly beautiful. The brothel courtesans who had performed here earlier were also lovely, but perhaps because they had fallen into the pleasure quarters, their beauty carried a worldly flavor, particularly alluring and graceful. Wen Wan’s beauty, however, was dignified and refined, possessing the bearing and elegance of a noble lady.
“Young master, my maid was rude and has greatly offended you. Please don’t take it to heart,” Wen Wan curtsied to Hua Zhuyu, speaking melodiously. Her autumn-water eyes then turned cold as she scolded the maid, “Ying’er, apologize to this young master!”
Hearing Wen Wan’s words, Ying’er hurriedly walked before Hua Zhuyu and apologized, “I was wrong just now!”
“Miss Wen needn’t be so polite. I did indeed accidentally step your lantern into the lake just now. I’m terribly sorry. I shall take my leave,” Hua Zhuyu said, holding the lantern in one hand while touching the deck with both feet, gracefully flipping over the white boat’s railing and leaping down.
She saw that Huangfu Wushuang’s pleasure boat had drifted over leisurely. This time she didn’t need to borrow force from the water surface and could leap directly across. As for this lantern in her hand, she should take it back and let Huangfu Wushuang personally present it to Wen Wan. She just wondered how angry Huangfu Wushuang would be seeing Wen Wan appear on Ji Fengli’s pleasure boat.
“Don’t be hasty to leave, young man. You solved the Prime Minister’s riddle, so the Prime Minister has a reward! Catch…” A resonant, powerful, deep voice called loudly from the deck.
Hearing this person’s voice, Hua Zhuyu could sense he possessed profound internal energy – a martial arts expert.
From the corner of her eye, Hua Zhuyu saw a rough-featured man had appeared at the bow. The man flung his hand, and several gleaming silver ingots flew toward her vital points. What reward? This was clearly testing her martial arts.
Hua Zhuyu’s phoenix eyes narrowed coldly. Holding the lantern in one hand, she circulated her inner energy and somersaulted in mid-air like a nightingale, avoiding the attacking silver ingots. Then, using her downward momentum, she swept her right hand, her wide sleeve billowing to gather the scattered silver pieces.
Fortunately, today’s outfit had extremely wide sleeves, otherwise she couldn’t have caught those silver ingots.
“Thank you for Prime Minister Ji’s generous reward!” Hua Zhuyu called out clearly. Just then, Huangfu Wushuang’s pleasure boat approached, and Hua Zhuyu landed steadily on the bow.
Only then did everyone realize that the final riddle had been posed by Prime Minister Ji himself. That Hua Zhuyu could solve the talented Left Prime Minister’s riddle earned her admiring gazes from people on surrounding boats. Hua Zhuyu stood at the bow, looking back to see that the burly man who had attacked her was nowhere to be seen.
On the white boat’s magnificent deck, only two figures stood against the wind.
Though the night was misty and fog hung heavy over the lake, Hua Zhuyu could still clearly see the man in white robes with wide sleeves – none other than the current Left Prime Minister, Ji Fengli.
Eyebrows like paintings, temples like carvings, white robes flowing, black hair like a flowing spring, his entire being possessed an elegant quality and peerless grace.
As the two boats passed each other, the night wind suddenly intensified, lifting his trailing wide sleeves and robes. His white clothes moved like clouds, pure as snow lotus.
He nodded slightly toward Hua Zhuyu, his eyes deep as night reflecting the newly risen moonlight, rippling with shimmering waves.
The white boat gradually moved away. She could vaguely see him holding a jade flute, playing an exquisite, clear melody. The heavenly flute music, reflected against the shimmering lake water, wound around melodiously, touching the heartstrings.
The two figures in white and blue, under the gentle, hazy moonlight, seemed like a perfectly matched pair of jade people.
Hua Zhuyu watched the white boat gradually disappear, her clear eyes filled with layer upon layer of cold intent – extremely cold, extremely sharp.
When she lifted the pearl curtain, she faced Huangfu Wushuang’s furious countenance. He seemed to have been standing by the curtain all along, watching everything that happened outside.
Anger intensified every color on his exquisite, handsome features and face tenfold. His eyebrows seemed to burn with intensity. His fists were clenched tight, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.
This scene made Hua Zhuyu believe his fists might fly toward her at any moment. Sweeping the area with cold eyes, she saw that other guards and eunuchs in the cabin had already fallen askew on the ground, their faces looking awful – green and purple.
It seemed he had already vented his anger, but his rage still wasn’t completely spent.
The Crown Prince, who had always gotten whatever he wanted since childhood, had been thoroughly devastated this time.
Hua Zhuyu truly didn’t know what he might do. Just then, she heard Huangfu Wushuang roar and pounce on her, knocking her down on the deck. Those hands that had been clenched in fists now gripped her throat tightly.
“Tell me, in what way am I inferior to Ji Fengli? I’m the Crown Prince! Father Emperor and Mother Empress dote on me! This empire will be mine sooner or later! But she refused my invitation for him! Tell me, what should I do?” Huangfu Wushuang screamed hoarsely. Before long, his already rough voice grew increasingly hoarse.
As he shouted, his hands tightened. Hua Zhuyu’s cheeks turned red from his increasingly tight grip around her throat, making it hard to breathe. She considered whether to fight back, otherwise she would be strangled to death at this rate. Just as she was thinking this, she saw Huangfu Wushuang looking toward her.
She gave his furious face a gentle smile.
In the flickering lamplight of the boat cabin, her smile was lazy and beautiful, with an indescribable charm and allure.
Huangfu Wushuang felt as if struck by lightning, suddenly realizing that continuing to strangle her would take the life of the person before him. A piercing chill ran up his spine as he trembled all over, slowly loosening his hands.
He lay on his back gasping, suddenly remembering Hua Zhuyu’s smile just then.
So beautiful, so graceful, with an indescribable charm – like a clear spring that completely extinguished the anger in his heart. His heart shook as he turned to look at Hua Zhuyu’s neck, seeing her head lowered with faint red fingerprints on her throat. He laughed awkwardly, feeling he had truly lost his mind. After all, he was the one who had ordered her castration – no matter how beautiful, she was still a man. Well, now she should be called neither male nor female.
“Just now, why didn’t you resist? I know your martial arts are good. You could have beaten me, you could have killed me!” Huangfu Wushuang asked slowly.
Hua Zhuyu sat on the deck, smiling lazily, “I am Your Highness’s slave. Since Your Highness needed to vent your anger, I was willing. How could I dare resist? How could I resist?”
Huangfu Wushuang rolled over from the deck and sat up, saying slowly, “Yuan Bao, what is your real purpose for entering the palace?” He had already sent people to investigate at Drunken Immortal Tower but found no information about Hua Zhuyu’s background. Could she truly be as she claimed – just a homeless wanderer of the martial world? However, looking at Hua Zhuyu’s overall bearing, she didn’t seem like a commoner’s child or some martial world vagrant.
“Don’t tell me again about assisting me or fulfilling your own ambitions!” His face darkened, his thin, cold lips curving in a cold smile.
Hua Zhuyu’s heart tightened. Looking up at Huangfu Wushuang, she discovered he wasn’t as foolish as she had imagined – he even knew to investigate her background. Now with his slightly dark expression, pursed thin lips, and solemn demeanor, he actually possessed some dignified bearing.
“This slave seeks revenge,” Hua Zhuyu decided to mix lies with truth – this half-true, half-false approach would make him believe her. Moreover, from tonight’s situation, Huangfu Wushuang and Ji Fengli were clearly incompatible as fire and water.
“Who is your enemy?” Huangfu Wushuang asked with furrowed brows.
“To be honest with Your Highness, it’s Ji Fengli. This slave originally came to Yu Capital to assassinate him, but he has many capable subordinates, so I had to take refuge at Drunken Immortal Tower. Unexpectedly, I encountered Your Highness and somehow entered the palace. Now I’m determined to assist Your Highness in bringing down Ji Fengli,” Hua Zhuyu said.
“I already figured that out!” Huangfu Wushuang stood up from the deck, walked slowly to the table, and sat down.
Huangfu Wushuang’s words shocked Hua Zhuyu.
He figured it out? That she and Ji Fengli were enemies? Had she been so obvious? Wouldn’t Ji Fengli also notice?
“After their boat left just now, your eyes were filled with deep hatred, as if you wanted to devour Ji Fengli alive. If I still couldn’t see that, I’d be a fool,” Huangfu Wushuang said. Having vented his anger, his mood seemed better as he picked up chopsticks and began eating. The guards who had been lying on the ground got up and moved to serve him. He waved them away, and all the servants withdrew completely.
Hua Zhuyu thought to herself that she must learn to disguise her emotions in the future. If seeing Ji Fengli affected her this much, she truly worried what she might do if she saw Emperor Yan – she suspected she might transform into an assassin and charge forward to kill him!
“Does Your Highness know who that person was who attacked this slave just now?” Hua Zhuyu asked slowly.
Huangfu Wushuang snorted coldly, “Don’t let Ji Fengli’s scholarly appearance fool you. Since he entered court as an official, he’s recruited many martial world ruffians for court use. The person who attacked you just now is one of his fighting experts, known in the martial world as Tong Shou. He’s supposedly from a prestigious family background but later committed some crime and was hunted by martial artists, which led him to serve the court. That Ji Fengli can’t stand having capable people under me. He deliberately sent Tong Shou to test your martial arts just now – he must have guessed this was my pleasure boat.”
Huangfu Wushuang slammed his chopsticks on the table with a snap, unable to eat anymore, saying coldly, “He wants to support my second brother as emperor, but we’ll see if second brother has that capability.”
Huangfu Wushuang had a younger brother named Huangfu Wushang, born to a palace maid in Emperor Yan’s harem. He had broken his leg as a child and never received imperial favor. His treatment compared to Huangfu Wushuang was like heaven and earth – Huangfu Wushuang became Crown Prince at five, while Huangfu Wushang hadn’t even been granted a prince title yet.
So the antagonism between Huangfu Wushuang and Ji Fengli wasn’t simply about Wen Wan but involved court struggles.
Of course, this might also be Huangfu Wushuang’s speculation. Officials and princes forming factions to seek the throne was a capital offense. If Huangfu Wushuang had evidence, he would have long ago impeached Ji Fengli before his imperial father.
However, regardless, now that Huangfu Wushuang no longer suspected her, she had finally established a foothold in the palace. Future matters would need to be planned slowly.
As night deepened, cold wind blew through the windows into the boat cabin, making Hua Zhuyu feel the chill.